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Us Against You by Fredrik Backman 
Published by Atria Books on June 5, 2018
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beartown and A Man Called Ove, hailed as “a writer of astonishing depth [with] the remarkable ability to make you understand the feelings of each of a dozen different characters” (The Washington Times), a heart-wrenching story of how loyalty, friendship, and love carry a town through its darkest days.
After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach.
Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
In this the follow-up to Beartown, we find the beloved hockey team in turmoil because most of the Beartown players have left to go play for Hed. A newcomer who has been handpicked to be the new hockey coach tries to put the team together and overcome a whole lot of history. This story is full of drama about the relationships formed between the hockey players, the town is torn apart because of loyalties and the centerpiece, the game.
I love Mr. Bachman’s writing. Mr. Backman is a gifted writer that had me yelling at the pages, crying, laughing and rooting for the Beartown team. The writing flows beautifully. I am hoping there is a movie because this is a wonderful story that makes you want to attend a Beartown hockey game just to see the reaction of the townsfolk. I hope he continues to write about Beartown because there are more stories to tell that happens to have hockey as the centerpiece.
I recommend you buy this book and then you’re going to want to read “Beartown” that introduces us to the town because it’s a great story. If you’re one who doesn’t care for the sport of hockey, don’t allow that to prevent you from missing out on a wonderful read.
Reviewed by: Linda C.
